Tottenham Captain Son Heung-min Apologizes for Ipswich Loss, Urges Greater Discipline

Tottenham’s captain, Son Heung-min, issued an apology to Spurs fans following the 2-1 home defeat against Ipswich in the Premier League on Sunday, stating that the team’s players must exhibit “more discipline” to achieve a consistent sequence of positive outcomes. Speaking to SpursPlay, Son commented, “It was a very disappointing afternoon and result of course, but the performance – we have to be better.” He elaborated on the match, saying, “Before they scored two goals – or even the first goal – we had a couple of chances where we can score the goal and go ahead. We didn’t and conceded two very silly goals, which is also very painful because of how much we work and how important it is inside the box to defend the goal at home.” Son concluded, “We didn’t and we have to all take a big, big responsibility. I want to say sorry about the result.” In the two preceding home fixtures, Spurs had eliminated Manchester City from the Carabao Cup and subsequently overcame a deficit to defeat Aston Villa 4-1 in the Premier League. Son further stated, “We could be a bright team, we could be a really strong team.” He continued, “Everyone saw it but those type of games [Manchester City and Aston Villa] you have to think about in a mentally very strong way. A team like Villa, you have to go really strong but the next game you play against Ipswich, they are the same opponent, the same competition.” He emphasized the need for effort, adding, “Everyone is expecting us to win this game but in football you never get a free win. You have to earn it. You have got to work hard and we have got to just believe more. And then we have to be more disciplined, that’s for sure.” He concluded by stressing the importance of adherence to strategy: “Everyone has to be more disciplined. The structure and the plans – you have got to just follow it. This is the main part of where we can be even stronger. I hope we can be stronger when we come back from the international break.”